Bottle stopper lock



Oct. l2, 1937. F, E VANDERHQOF 2,095,272

' BOTTLE sToPPER LOCK original Filed Juiy 27, 1934 4 ATTORNEYS.

Patented oct. 12, 1937 UNITED- sraras @Alibi BOTTLE STOPPER LOCK Frank E. Vanderhoof, Greenwich, Conn., assigner of one-half to Louis Brambrut, Greenwich,

Conn;

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bottle Stoppers and more particularly toa bottle stopper and lock therefor.

One of the several objects of the invention ret 5` sides in a bottle stopper which may be looked in the neck of a bottle to prevent unauthorized removal of the same which is necessary to dispense the liquid contents of the bottle. Such type of stopper will be found useful in connection with bottles containing spirituous liquors, poisons, perfumes, medicines and other liquids to be kept by the owner thereof against unauthorized use.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a lock construction which is embodied in the stopper and which requires no alterations in the present type of bottle for effective locking of the stopper to the bottle neck.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bottle stopper and lock in which the walls of the stopper are expanded intov tight frictional contact with the inner walls of the bottle neck by key actuated means to prevent the manual pulling out of the stopper unless released by the proper key.

With these and other objects in view, the ingy, ven-tion resides in the certain novel construction, combination and arrangement of parte, the es sential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a bottle showing the invention in elevation and in locked position therein.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and showing the actuating key in association therewith.

Figure 3r is a vertical sectional view through thestopper and lock, the lock being shown in released or unlocked position.

Figure 4 is a collective perspective view of the several parts of the invention shown in separated position.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral It] designates my improved bottle stopper and lock in its entirety, and which includes an elongated stem II which is round in cross section and provided at one end with an enlarged flat head I2. The free end of the stem I I is provided with a transversely disposed ball recess or cavity I3, the same opening through op posite sides of the stem, at which point the walls of the cavity extend inwardly as at I4 to provide a restraining seat for the locking balls I5-I5 (Cl.` 21S-54) contained within the cavity to prevent their accidental separation therefrom. However, the seats ill do not prevent a portion of the balls from being moved to a position beyond the plane of the outer surface of the stem II during their movement to locking position in a manner to be presently explained.

Opening into the recess or cavity I3 is the inner end of a bore it, the said bore being screw threaded for a portion of its length inwardly from the head end of the stein as at il.

A headless actuating screw i8 is threaded to the threaded portion l? of the bore lli and the inner end of the screw is provided with a reduced smooth portion lil, the end face of which is provided with a concave recess 2i) and seats against an actuating ball 2 l, which in turn bears against locking balls i-ld The outer end of the crew it is provided with a reducedsquare shank 22 which is adapted to be received in a square shaped socket 23 provided in a key 2d, the said key being provided with a finger piece or manipulating head 25.

The stein I! is slightly reduced in diameter from the head i2 toward the free end thereof to provide a shoulder 26 and tightly fitting over the stem is a cup shaped rubber or other like resilient covering 2l. The covering 2l is prevented from accidentally working off the stem I I by reason of the shoulder Z. This rubber covering prevents contact of the metal balls I5-I5 with the wall of the neck of the glass bottle in which the stopper is to be used, and furthermore provides an increased friction surface between the stopper and the walls of the bottle neck.

In use, the key 25 is applied to the square end 22 Vof the screw I 8 and the key turned so as to release the pressure upon the locking balls I5-I 5, whereupon the stopper assumes the position shown in Figure 3 of the drawing. With the stopper in unlocked position, the same is inserted into the neck 29 of a bottle 28 until the flat head I2 abuts the top of the bottle. The operator now turns the key 25 to cause the screw i8 to thread inwardly and which moves the ball 2I against the locking balls I5 causing the locking balls to spread outwardly away from each other and expand or distend that portion of the rubber covering overlying the ball recess I3 into tight frictional engagement with the inner wall of the bottle neck as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing. The key may now be removed and the stopper is prevented from being withdrawn from the bottle neck by the expanding action produced by the locking balls I5 which are wedged apart by the ball 2l. The bottle is sealed against leakage and the contents protected against unauthorized dispensing. Should the owner of the bottleV desire to gain access to the contents there-V of, the key is applied to the square head of the screw and the same turned to cause the screw to move outwardly, thus releasing the pressure upon the locking balls I5. With the pressure released, the resilient covering 21 returns to its retracted position and the head I 2 may be grasped and the stopper pulled free from the bottle neck.

Although I have illustrated the locking balls as being disposed adjacent the outer free end of the stopper, the same may be positioned inwardly thereof if desired, and exposed through the rubber covering for direct contact with the Walls of the bottle neck. It will also be noted from Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing that the top of the square shank 22 is flush with or below the top of the stopper at al1 times. I also wish it to be understood that although the shank 22 is shown as square in cross section, the same may be triangular or any other at sided configuration if desired. By this arrangement diiferent key combinations may be used in the manufacture of the article whereupon the key that will open one stopper cannot be used to actuate the lock mechanism of another stopper.

While I have shown and described what I consider to be the most practical embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that various changes as come within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, isn-- 1. A bottle stopper having a plug portion adapted to freely fit into the neck of a bottle, a pair of opposed balls loosely mounted in said plug portion for retractive movement thereinto and for extended movement beyond opposite sides thereof, and key actuated means at the top outer end of the plug portion for facilitating retractive and extended movement of said balls.

2. A bottle stopper having a plug portion adapted to freely flt into the neck of a bottle, a pair of opposed balls loosely mounted in said plug portion for retractive movement thereinto and for extended movement beyond opposite sides thereof, and screw means operable from a point within said plug for facilitating the retractive and extended movement of said balls.

3. A bottle stopper having a plug portion and a head at one end thereof, a cavity provided in the plug portion and opening onto opposite sides thereof, a pair of locking balls loosely arranged within said cavity, means operable from the head for spreading said locking balls in opposite directions to extend them beyond the plane of said plug portion, and means for limiting the movement of said locking balls during their extended movement.

4. A bottle stopper having a plug portion and a head at one end thereof, a cavity provided in the plug portion and opening onto opposite sides thereof, a pair of locking balls loosely arranged within said cavity, means operable from the head for spreading said locking balls in opposite directions to extend them beyond the plane of said plug portion, and a yieldable covering surrounding said plug portion and overlying the openings to said cavity.

5. A bottle stopper comprising a plug portion, a cavity provided in said plug portion and opening onto opposite sides thereof, a pair of locking balls loosely arranged within said cavity, a bore communicating with said cavity and opening onto the top end of said plug portion, a portion of said bore inwardly of the top end thereof being screw threaded, a screw threaded to the threaded portion of said bore, a wedge actuating ball in terposed between the two locking balls and the inner end of said screw, a reduced actuating head provided on the top of said screw and normally disposed inwardly thereof, and a socket key fitting into said bore and operatively engaging said actuating head to facilitate manual turning of said screw.

FRANK E. VANDERHOOF. 

